Apparatus for eliminating ice from windshields



NO V. 4, 1930. v c, R, OTTO 7 1,780,502

APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING ICE FROM WINDSHIELDS Filed Feb. 4. 1929 4&5INVEIQIITOR 2 Z TTORNEY:

complish all of the Patented Nov. 4, 1930 PATENT OFFICE CLIFF R. OTTO,OF EDMOND, OKLAHOMA mm'rus noa-nnnamarms ICE rnom wmnsnmnns Applicationfiled February 4, 1929. Serial No. 337,512.

My invention relates to apparatus for and method of eliminating ice fromthe windshield ofautomobiles. I

The objects of my invention are to produce a' device of the-classdescribed which will be new, novel, practical, useful and of utility;which will be economical in construction, installation and operation;which will be removable; which will beeasily installed upon anyautomobile; which will be compact. and easily carried; which willacpurposes for which it is intended.

There has previously been some attempts made-to eliminate the freezingof moisture upon the automobile wind-shield, such as: placing a lightedcandle upon the inside of the car and near the wind-shield thereof;

and the installation of electrically heated coils and wires adjacent thewind-shield, operating by electricity from the "bottom of theqcar.Theluse of a burning. candle is not a success for night driving, becausethe light of the candle must necessarily be direc'tly between the driverand the wind,

shield. This is dangerous because it ob'-' structs the drivers visionand also because the candle is-liable to fall from its position andignite the clothing of the occupants, or somepart of the automobile. Itis impractical also because'it will burn only in a closed car. The useof heated coils and wires have proven impractical owing to the fact thatthey use an excessive amount of electrical current, and thus, run 'downor discharge the battery very quickl The installation and use of .a'deviceof this nature is usually vervexpe'nsive. v a 1 y invention isnot operated by electricity and therefore'does away with expense ofoperation which is encountered in electrically heated coils, and thelike, and it is not required to be heated. Theconstruction of my-deviceis much chea r than most methods, and eliminates all anger from fire. Itmay be removed and .carried inside the car when it is not in use. -Itmay be installed for use quickly. The'operation thereof is of verylittle expense.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear myinvention consists in the construction, novel features, and combinationof parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claimshereto appended, and illustrated inthe accompanyingTone-sheet drawing,of which,

f igure 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of the front of anautomobile, showing myinve'ntiou' installed thereon; Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the device, showing its relation to wind-shield andwind-shield wiper; Fig. 3 is a sectional view through reservoir; Fig. 4is an elevational View showing the end of delivery tube positionedagainst a fragment of wind-shield glass.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

It is understood. that various changes in the form, proportion,- size,shape, weight and other details of construction, within the 7 scope ofmy invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orbroad principle of my invention and without sacrificing any of theadvantages thereof; and it is also understood that the drawings are to'be interpreted as being illustrative and not restrictive.

A practical embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the drawingsincludes: A quarter .round elongated tank or vessel 1, s0

-made ofv metal or other suitable material,

1 is felt strip 3, better seen in Fig.3.- Said strip 3 is to protectcross-frame 2 from scratching by tank 1,,and may be made of othersuitable material-than felt, if desired. Tank 1 has bottom 4, verticalback 5, rounding top 6, and ends 7 and 8. Said top 6 has round, flangedopening 9 into which-is insert-' ed cork 10 with perforation 1 1therethrough. Said 1 openi'ng'9 is for filling vessel 1 with liquid.Said perforation 11 insaid cork '10 is to allow the free passage of airinto tank cross-frame 2.

the'other end of said nipple 16 being smooth and not threaded. Fittingover smooth end of said nipple 16 is one end of connecting hose 17. Saidhose 17 is made of rubber or other suitable material and fits aroundsaid nipple 16 closely enough to allow no leakage of liquid between thetwo. The other end of said hose 17 fits over pipe 18 in the same manneras hose 17 fits over said nipple 16, allowing no leakage. Said pipe 18is straight from its end at hose 17 to a point 19, adjacent its otherend. At said oint 19 said pipe 18 is bent at an obtuse ang e as is shownin Figs. 1, 2, and 4. Upon the bent end of.

said pipe 18 and fitting snugly therearound is delivery hose 20. Theloose end of said delivery hose 20 is cut off or terminated at an angleor bevel, better seen in Figs. 2 and ,4. The lip 21 of the beveled endof delivery powered or automatic. Adjacent the middle of said connectinghose 17 is provided screwclamp inch cock 25, of known make or'design.owever, it is preferred thatit be provided with an arm or plate forclosing the usual 0 ening between the jaws, for better preventing theloss of same from the device. Said hose-clamp inch cock is for shuttingoff the gravitational flow of liquid from said tank 1 through saidconnecting hose 17 At the lower edge of said top crossframe2 and the proer distance apart and both within the lengt of said pipe 18 is rovidedscrew-hooks 26' and 27, for hol ing said pipe 18 rigidly against saidcross-frame 2. It will be seen that the curved top 6 of said tank 1enables said tank 1 to be installed upon said automobile top cross-frame2 without the removal of or interference withautomobile sun visor 28.

The installation of my invention, itwill be seen, merely consists ofproperly attaching said bolts or screws 14 and 15 and said supportinghooks 26 and 27 to said automobile top cross-frame 2. Then the placingof tank .1 so that it and the entire feed-line thereto attached issupported upon said screws 14 and 15"andsaid hooks 26 and27. After tank1 and the entire feedline thereto attached has been correctly positionedupon their respective supports, pipe 18 is turned in hose 17 so as tobring lip 21 of delivery hose 20 into touch with windshield 22. It willbe seen in Fig. 4 that only the lip of'said hose 20 touches thewind-shield 22 and not the en tire beveled end thereof. This is toprevent the hermetical sealing of said hose 20 against the wind-shield22. Said screw-clamp pinch cock 25 is kept closed at all times whendevice is not in operation.

In operation said tank 1 is filled with a saturate solution of sodiumchloride, and said screwclamp pinch cock 25 is opened slightl to allowthe passage of said solution through pipe 18 and delivery hose 20. Saidlip 21 of vsaid delivery hose 20 conveys said solution to wind-shield.Said wind-shield Wiper 24 spreads said solution over the outside ofwind-shield, and thus keeps a portion there of .clear of ice. The fiowof said solution to wind-shield may be governed by the-tightening orloosening of said screw clamp pinch cock 25; When the device is not inuse it ma be lifted off said supports 14, 15, 26 and 2 and carriedinside of the automobile, or tool chest. f

In using this device other liquids than sodium chloride may be used,such as: a

saturate solution of calcium chloride; a mixture of alcohol andglycerine; gasoline; or 'eitheralcohol or glycerine by themselves; orother suitable liquids, The useof sodium chloride is preferable,however, because salt may be obtained on the road at any store or almostany farmhouse or dwelling. It does not 'gum u the car as glycerine andthe mixture of g ycerine and alcohol do. It does not ruin the paint orduco finish of the car a gasoline or alcohol does.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms otherthan that which is'illustrated in the accompanyin drawings and describedherein, and applica le for the uses and purposes other than as detailed,and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications andadaptations and other uses of the form of the device herein described asfairly fall within the scope of my invention;

Having thus described my invention wha is claimed and desired to besecured by Let-. ters Patent, is:

1. A device of the class described, comprising .a rigid reservoirdisposed on the exterior of the front top cross-frame of a motorvehicle, adjacent the front surface of the wind-shield thereof, forhousing a suitable liquid,.having-protruding from one of its loweredges,.a short ni ple, a suitable pipe adapted. to be anchored to saidto crossframe havin its outer end turne downwardly a'defivery tube ofsuitable material adapted at one end to :snugly fit the turned downportion of said pipe its other end he- 1ng beveled forming a lip on itslower edge, said lip bein adaptedto constantly touch the outer sur aceof said windshield, a rubber tubing adapted at one end to snugly fitsaid short nipple the other end adapted to fit said pipe, a screw-clampinch-cock, adapted to fit said rubber tubing and-to regulate and stoipthe flow of liquid therethrough, all and as or the purposes specified.

2. A device of the class describedycom prising a reservoir disposed onthe exterior I I of the front top cross-frame of a motor vehiole,adjacent the, front surface of the windshield thhreof, for housing asuitable liquid,

having protruding from one of-its lower edges, a short nipple, a.suitable pipe adapted to be anchored to saidtop cross-frame having itsouter end turned downwardly, a delivery tube of suitable materialadapted at one end to snugly fit the turned down portion of said pipeits other end being beveled forming a lip on its lower edge, said lipbeing adapted to constantly touch the outer surface of said wind-shield,a rubber tubing adapted at one end to snugly fit said short nipple theother end adapted to fit said pipe, a screw-clamp pinch-cock, adapted tofit said rubber tubing and to regulate and sto the flow of liquidtherethrough, all as an for the purposes specified.

CLIFF R. OTTO.

